DR Concert Hall

With its new DR Concert Hall, Copenhagen has gained a prominent position on the world map of grand concert halls

If you took the Metro passing the new concert hall in DR City,
you would not immediately guess what lies within its enormous blue
shell. The building might seem to be of a completely uniform
colour, but if you pass by it at the right time, the facade is
illuminated by moving pictures that give you an idea of what is
going on inside the blue box.

The DR Concert Hall was designed by world-renowned French
architect Jean Nouvel, who imagined a meteor having hit and added
vibrant life to the Ørestad district. The exterior of the building
is a 45-metre-high rectangular box whose interior is a true Mecca
for musicians and music lovers alike.

Seven-level foyer

The foyer of the Concert Hall is a single large space spread out
on seven levels of the building. It contains twenty-five video
projectors and fifty slide projectors used to project pictures onto
the surfaces of the room. In accordance with the architect's
wishes, the concrete was cast using a special technique called
'elephant skin' that creates distinctive folds in the concrete
surface.

One building, many possibilities

The Concert Hall has four auditoria and halls of different sizes
that cater to different types of music.

Studio 1 - also called the concert hall - is the largest hall in
the building and will primarily be used for symphonic music. The
28,000 m3 room, which seems to float on a number of stair towers at
the heart of the building, is laid out as an amphitheatre, with the
stage at the centre and seating for the audience on staggered
podiums on all sides of the stage. The concert hall, whose golden
colours were inspired by the sunset in 'The Scream' painting by
Edward Munch, has room for an audience of 1,800 people.

Like a Hollywood film studio

The other studios in the building are laid out in a row below
the huge concert hall, separated by glass walls. The style of
Studio 2 is rough, inspired by the classic film studios of
Hollywood. With seating for 'only' 540 people, this studio is
somewhat smaller than the concert hall, but the two stages are
identical. The walls are clad with birch panels decorated with
portraits of thirty-eight selected musicians representing a wide
range of musical genres, thus emphasising that the studio will be
used for all sorts of music, from classical to rock. To cater to
the different requirements of the various genres, the wall panels
can be rotated on rails to regulate the acoustics.

Interior inspired by the grand piano

Studio 3, the smallest studio of the Concert Hall, has neither a
fixed staged nor permanent seating. The room looks like a black box
theatre, with black walls that have alternating matte and glossy
panels. The walls are of lacquered wood and felt, and they contain
a number of doors that can be opened to regulate the sound in the
room. The black and white interiors are inspired by the keys on a
grand piano.

A study in scarlet

The scarlet-coloured Studio 4 is primarily to be used for choir
and chamber music. Acoustics are regulated by felt-clad triangular
wall panels that can be turned to achieve the desired effect. The
stage is composed of podiums, which makes this studio highly
flexible.

AWARDS FOR THE CONCERT HALL

Even before its official opening, the new DR Concert Hall was
awarded a diploma and a bronze plaque by the Association for the
Beautification of Copenhagen, which each year awards diplomas to
outstanding buildings in Copenhagen. At the award ceremony,
Association chair Hans Peter Hagen described the Concert Hall as a
significant work of architecture that was 'good for the blood
circulation of people in Denmark'.

The Concert Hall has also been nominated for the prestigious
Mies van der Rohe Award, the European Union award for contemporary
architecture granted once every two years.

WORLD-CLASS ACOUSTICS

With its new DR Concert Hall, Copenhagen has gained a prominent
position on the world map of grand concert halls. The walnut-shaped
Studio 1 is made up of irregular segments that ensure optimal
acoustic conditions. The man behind the acoustic design is Japanese
Yasuhisa Toyota, who is known for his ability to design world-class
acoustics. According to the Danish Broadcasting Corporation (DR),
not a single person among those attending the DR National Symphony
Orchestra's first rehearsal in the concert hall remained
unimpressed with the fantastic sound quality.

The ceilings and the terrace walls are made of plywood with
milled grooves that help to ensure optimal acoustics, and the
surface of the plasterboard walls above the terraces is corrugated.
To ensure correct reproduction of deep tones, the walls are
composed of up to six layers and weigh at least 100kg/m².

A 250 square metre reflector is suspended above the stage to
allow musicians to hear themselves and each other. When the music
performed is not symphonic, large curtains may be drawn from the
walls to optimise the sound quality.

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THE BEST VIEW OVER COPENHAGEN HARBOUR

UNIQUE LOCATION FOR MEETINGS AND
CONFERENCES

We provide professional conference facilities and you will have the
opportunity to visit our changing exhibitions, and enjoy a light
lunch or a cup of coffee and a cake in our café on the first
floor.

TEACHING ARCHITECTURE

We offer courses for different age groups in connection with
Danish Architecture Centre's temporary exhibitions. The activities
are suited to varying target groups depending on the type of
exhibition and wherever possible the courses include hands-on
activities for children. The courses can also be conducted in
English.